Fluorescent lighting fixtures



Aug. 19, 1958 w. A. CHARBONNEAUX 2,848,599

' FLUORESCENT LIGHTING FIXTURES Filed Ma.y 25. 1953 IN V EN TOR.

mg 3 WILSON A.CHARBONNEAUX United States atout Ofi FLUORESCENT LIGHTING FIXTURES Wilson A. Charbonneaux, Dayton, hio

Application May 25, 1953, Serial No. 356,964

3 Claims. (Cl. 240-51.11)

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in fluorescent lighting fixtures.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a fluorescent lighting fixture which can be utilized as a part of the conduit system for electrical Wiring constituting the illumination circuit in a room, factory, or other building structure.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a fluorescent lighting fixture consisting of a pair of lamp supporting elements complete with lamp sockets and ballast components.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide fluorescent lighting fixtures which are suitable for potentials substantially higher than 240 v. and which can be easily connected, installed, and maintained.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a fluorescent lighting fixture consisting of a basic lamp-end component which is extremely flexible in terms of its adaptability t0 various circuits and illumination arrangements and which can be used in multiples to sup port more than one length of lamp.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a fluorescent lighting fixture having split ballasts which complement each other in a plural lamp circuit.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a fluorescent lighting fixture consisting of a box having an easily removable cover carrying all necessary socket and ballast parts so that when the cover is removed or swung downwrdly, maximum working space is available for pulling Wire into each box.

With the above and other objects in view, my inventien resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a fluorescent lighting installation comprising a plurality of lighting fixtures constructed in accordance With and embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken along lime 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along lime 33 of Figure 2; and

Figures 4 and 5 are transverse sectional views taken along limes 4 4 and 55, respectively, of Figure 3.

Referring now in more detail and by reference charactors to the drawing, which illustrates practical embodiments of the present invention, A designates a fluorescent lighting fixture element or component comprising a rectilinear box-like structure 1 formed of sheet metal or other suitable material and resembling somewhat the conventional type of so-called knock-out box ordinarily used in electrical installations in buildings, ofiices, factories, and the like. The box 1 consists of a top wall 2 integrally provided around its periphery With rectangular side walls 3 and end walls 4. The walls 2, 3, 4, are provided with a plurality of knockouts 5 which can be removed to provide an aperture such as the aperture 6 for receivig a conventional tubular electrical conduit 7 secured therein at its end by means of look nuts 8, 8.

Rigidly fixed to the lower portion of the side walls 3, at two opposite corners of the box 1, are small L-shaped bracketlike clips 9 consisting of a vertical flange 10 spotwelded, soldered or otherwise fixed to the inner face of the side walls 3 and a horizontal flange 11 which extends outwardly slightly above the plane of the bottom of the box 1, terminating at its free edge in an upwardly turned short stop flange 12, all as best seen in Figure 4 and for purposes presently more fully appearing.

Similarly, fixed to the inner face of the side walls 3 at the other two opposite corners of the box 1' are small L-shaped clips 13 integrally comprising a vertical flange 14 and a horizontal flange 15. The under face of the horizontal flange 15 is coplanar 'with the under face of the flange 11. V

Provided for removable closure-forming co-operation with the box 1 is a fiatrectflinear.cover plate 16 also formed of sheet metal or other similar material and being bent upwardly along one straight edge to provide a short shoulder 17 and flange 18 which is provided at its opposite ends with laterally opening U-shaped slots or notches 19 adapted to fit over and around the fianges 11 of the clips 9 in the formation of swing-hinges. The cover plate 16 is approximately equal in width to the horizontal distance between the inner faces of the side walls 3 so that the cover plate 16 will fit snugly up into and extending closure-Wise across the bottom of the box 1. The other transverse margin, that is to say the margin 20, which is opposite to and parallel With the shoulder 17, fits flatwise upwardly against the downwardly presented face of the flanges 15 and is releasably attached thereto by captive screws 21. The flanges 11, 15, are respectively so positioned in relationto the bottom edge or margin of the box 1 that the under face of the cover plate 16 will lie substantially'in the plane thereof when fastened in closure-forming position, Substantially as shown in Figure 3.

Bolted to and extending through the cover plate 16 are three equidistanfly spaced fluorescent lamp sockets S. It should be understood in this connection that any suitable number of lamp sockets S may be employed, depending upon the selection of size and dimension. Also mounted upon the inner face of the cover plate 16 so as to lie whoIly within the box 1 when the cover plate 16 is in closure-orming position are three conventional ballasts B which are removably held in place by a saddle-bar 22 having three suitably positioned sets of notches 23 for engaging the ballasts B, as shown in Figure 2. The saddle-bars 22 are releasably secured upon the cover plate 16 bythreaded securement rods 24 provided at their free ends with nuts 25. Also carried by and extendingdownwardly from the saddle-bars 22 are two auxiliary rods 26 which extend through the cover plate 16 and at their lower ends are threaded for receiving wing nuts 27 by which a conventional reflector R may be optionally attached to the cover plate 16. The sockets S and ballasts B are internally wired and connected in the usual manner of electrical Wiring, as shown in Figure 3.

Also provided for optimal cooperation with the fixture Anis a dual fixture A which is substantially identical with the previously described fixture A except that it is twice the size and is provided with a correspondingly double sized cover plate 16 having six sockets S and three circuit elements X which may be a thermal switch, a series relay or sonne other element necessary in the circuitry for fluorescent lamps. Also mounted on and carried by the plate 16 are three ballasts B for use in the circuits et the next succeeding string'of lights. The sockets S being arranged centrally in backto-back pairs so as to co-operate,

Patented Aug. 19, 1958 3, respectively, with two fixtures A mounted in opposing relation thereto, as shown in Figure 1, in which case the other fixture A, i. e. the one shown on the extreme right of Figure I, will befitted,with three-sokets S, andthree circuit elements X. It will, .of course, be.understood in this connection that if a singleygroupof lights is desired, two single-type fixtures A may be mounted in suitably spaced opposed relation. Similarly, if a long string cf lights is desired which may, for instance, consist of three longitudinally aligned,groups of -larnps, then two singletype fixtures A may be mounted attheends of the string and two dualfixtures A suitablydisposed in the intermediate positions. I t will, of course,;be understoqd that multiples of this arrangementmay be employed. It is, therefore, evident that,a u ytype of arrangement of fluorescent lighting may be instaJldby the,simple expedient of connecting a series-of fixtures,A,,and A inthe manner just described by means of conduit pipe in the same simple and economical manner that ordinary conduit and outlet boxes are installed. The lamps may be run in l'ine With the mm et conduit pipe by removing some of the knock outs in the end walls 4, or, if desired, the lamps may be installed at right angles to the direction in which the conduit pipe runs by removingsome of the knock-outs 5 in the side walls 3 and connecting the conduit pipe therein.

If desired, the conduit and boxes may be installed in a roughed-in wall or ceiling in the,same manner that conventional conduit or outlet boxes are installed so that when the wall is plastered tne cover plates 16, 16, will be substantially flush with the finished face of the plaster and a very compact, neat, and convenient lighting installation can thus be achieved. Finally, the lighting fixtures of the present invention make it possible to assemble all of the essential components of the lighting circuit such as the sockets S and the ballasts B directly upon the cover plates 16 while the latter are removedfrom the boxes 1. The Wire may thus be freely pulled through the conduit and into the boxes 1 so that the connections can be conven- 4 iently and quickly made. Thereupon, the notches 19 can be slipped up over the flanges 12 .and -down hingewise upon the fianges 1l. Thereupon,;the cover plates 16 may be swung up into closureorming position and fastened in place by the captive screws,2l, completingthe lighting installation and providinga-fixturewhich-fs readto re-- ceive the fluorescent lamps L.

If it is desired to utilize therefiections-R, they may be fastened in place by means of the wing nuts.27. prior to placing the lamps L into the socket S. -When itis necessary to malte a repair in thewiring or replace, a burned out ballast, for example, such repairs may be very simply and quickly made by removing the lamps L and.reflectors R if the latter are used. Thereupon, the cover plate of the particular fixture A which requires repair can be released and swung down;so ,that the electrician cando whatever work is necessary. It,will -be evident that the repair can, by this procedure, be carried out in a matter of minutes.

It should be understood that changes and, modifications in the form, construction, arrangement,and combination of the several parts of the fluorescent lighting fixtures may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described myinvention, what I daim and desire to secure by;Letters Patent is:

1. A fluorescent lighting-fixture comprising anopen bottomed rectangular box having longitudinal andtransverse side walls and a substantialflaf top wll, said walls being integrally connected-together at their contiguous margins, a fiat rectangular plate ,forming a closure across said open bottom, said plate being provided at two corners With upstruck elements, said plate furthermore having notches extending inwardly,from opposite lateral margins adjacent said upstruck elements, a soclet member mounted on the plate and extending-,downwardly '4 therefrom when the plate is in closure-forming position, a circuit element mounted on the inner face of said plate for concealed disposition entirely within the box when the plate is in closure-forming position, flanges mounted on and extending inwardly from two opposed parallel side walls adjacent one end of the box and at the open end thereof and being in hinge-forming engagement with said notches, said upstruck elementresting facewise against the inside faces of said flanges when the plate is in closure-forming position, said upstruck elements being mov able out of facewise engagementwith saidflanges when the plate is swung downwardly out of closure-forming position 50 as to alord access to the circuit element, and means for releasablyholding the plate in closure-forming position.

2. A fluorescent lighting fixture comprising an open bottomed rectangular box having longitudinal and transverse side walls and .a substantially fiat top wall, said walls being integrally connected together at their C0 ntiguous margins, a fiat -rectangular plate forminga closure across said open bottom, said plate being provided at two corners with upstruck elements, said plate furthermore having notches extending-inwardly from opposite lateral margins adjacent said upstruck elements, a socket member mounted'on the plate and extending downwardly therefrom when the plate is in closure-forming position, a circuit element mounted on the inner face of said plate for concealed disposition entirely within the box when the plate is in closure-forming position, a transverse clamp ing bar extending across the circuit element in upwardly spaced relation of the plate, means for securing the clamping bar to the plate, said means having an endportion projecting through said plate, means on said end portion for tightening said clamping bar over said circuit element, fianges mounted on and extending inwardly from two opposed paralle] side walls adjacent one end of the box and at the open end thereof and being in hingeforming engagement with said notches, said upstruck elements resting facewise against said fianges when the plate is in closure-forming position, said elements being movable out of facewise engagement with said flanges when the plate is swung downwardly out of closure-forming position so as to afiord access to the circuit element, and means for releasably holding the plate in closure-forming position.

3. A fluorescent lighting fixt ure comprising an open bottomed rectangular box having longitudinal and transverse side walls and a substantially flat top wall, said walls being integrally connected together at their contigous margins, a fiat rectangular plate forming a closure across said open bottom, said plate being provided at two corners with upstruck elements, said plate f urthermore having notches extendinginwardly from opposite lateral margins adjacent said upstruck elements, a socket member mounted on the plate and extending downwardly therefrom when the plate is in closure-forming position, a circuit element mounted on the inner face of said plate for concealed disposition entirely within the box when the plate is in closure-forming position, a transverse clamp ing bar extending across the circuit element in upwardly spaced relation to the plate, means for securing the clamping, bar to the plate, said means including bolts projecting through the clamping bar and having threaded ends pr jecting through the plate, flanges mounted on and extend- 2 ing inwardly from two opposed parallel side walls adjacent one end of the box and at the open end thereof and being in hinge-forming engagement with said notches, said upstruck elements resting facewise against said flanges when the plate is in closure-forming position, said elements being movable ont of facewise engagement -with said flanges when the plate is swungdownwardly out of closure-forming position 50 as to afford access to the circuit element, and means for releasably holding the plate in closure-forming position.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Ryden Mar. 25, 1924 Naysmith July 28, 1942 5 Tuck et al. Dec. 31, 1946 6 Francs Apr. 15, 1947 Geenens July 19, 1949 Winkler et al. Aug. 12, 1952 Hathaway Nov. 25, 1952 Ca.ferro June 30, 1953 Zingone July 5, 1955 

